Float gauge for ships



March 12, 1940.

L F. JETT FLOAT GAUGE FOR SHIPS 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 11, 1937 z ATTORNEY 1.. F. JETT 2,193,423

FLOAT GAUGE FOR SHIPS Filed Nov. 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l E OR;

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,193,423 p FLOAT GAUGE" FORSHIBS Lowell F. Jett, Elizabeth, H. J. Application November 11, 1937, Serial No. 174,069

'- 7 Claims. (01. re -e321) .of the total distance which said float moves, thus admitting of the employment of an extremely short guide for the counterweight. Consequently -such guide is much easier to install on .a tanker and when so installed is far less likely to become fractured or disaligned when subjected to excessive strains in sea way, than is the case Where the counterweight travels the entire depth .of the tank and guide therefor extends from the upper .deck of the ship clear to the bottom :thereof. Further objects of the invention will hereafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,v in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention installed on an .oil tanker:

Figure 1 is a central, vertical, transverse section, partly in ,elevation, of such float gauge.

showing a fragment of the deck on which it is mounted;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevationof said float gauge, viewed from the front of the dial thereof and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation of such float gauge.

Referring to the drawings and the construction shown therein, the reference numeral 1 designates the shell of the recording mechanism of my improved gauge. Said shell is mounted on the upper end of a tubular housing 2 that is .inserted in a flange 3," which latter is secured'to the deck 4 of a tanker and surrounds the aperture 4 formed in said deck. Withinsaid housing is suspended a tubular, counterweight guide .5, the same being closed at the bottom thereof, and being preferably welded or otherwise securedto a transverse apertured partitionfi that is rigidly secured in said housing 2 adjacent the bottom of the bonnet thereof. As shown, said guide extends through the second apertured partition .1, which latter is rigidlysecuredin said housing 2 adjacent the bottom thereof.

-A float member 8, desirably comprising ahollow casting of an aluminum alloy, is slidably mounted between' parallel, vertical guide wires -9 (only one of which is shown), which pass through opposing lateral bosses ill-formed 11 said :fioat and are secured at their upper and lower ends inthe well known manner to the :top and'bottom .of the tank, respectively.

A hoisting line H, preferably comprising a metaltape composed of a nickel alloy'and having -5 an :axial series-of apertures ll formed therein, is connected to a boss l2 on said float and is .reevedover a standing sheave 13 which is rotatably mounted in the shell L Said sheave i3 is extended laterally to form a brake drum i3 1.

which functions as hereinafter described. 'A hoisting tackle is supported on the partition ii,

.the same-comprising a standing block l Land two running blocks l andglfi, both of which are ro- ..tatab ly mounted within a cheek-piece gll'from which is suspended a counterweight 18. ,From

52.2. A journal box 23 is;bolted around its periphery to the flange 2|. The shaft 24 of the indicat- -ing mechanism to which, as stated, the sheave .25 k3 is secured, is rotatably mounted in a ballbearing carried by said journal box. said ball bearing comprises a series of balls 25 .and 26, a

threaded bushing 21, that is adaptedto belocked inanyadjusted position by means of aset screw ,2-8, and a sleeve 29 which is rigidly secured to theshaft 24 andis peripherally grooved to form .raceways for two series of balls v25 and 26. The adjustment of the bushing 21 inwardly. with respect .to-the journal box 23 serves to drag with v' -i t. an,d consequentlyadjust the sleeve 29 which is rigicllypinned to the shaft 24.

An. arm 3.0, which is splined to the sleeve 29, carries a pinion}! at one end .thereof and has a counterweighttz at its opposite end. 1.40

The drum I 3 has a wedge-shaped periphera groove 35 for the reception of a wedge-shaped brake-shoe member 35 that is mounted on the lower end of arod 31 which is adapted to-be operated by a handle 31. -Said rod extends 145 througha packing gland 38 in the fitting .39.and thence through a depending bushing .40 that .is secured t'o the shell I Said bushing has a bayonet slot ii formed therein which is .adapted to receive a pinAZcarried by rod3] andppermits -5 .of the rod ,3! being locked .in. an elevated position whe th brake sh s re eas d-f o e sa e- ,ment witl 1;the vcooperatir g grooved drum l3. ;A series of flxed pins are centrally mounted i th upp a e f the sheave lit e sane r therebetween corresponding to that between the aforesaid spaced central apertures H formed in the tape H, whereby said sheave functions as a sprocket, so to speak, and prevents slippage of said tape relative to said sheave 13 when the latter is rotated.

A flexible metal bellows 46, which is normally expanded by a coil spring 41,. is interposed between the outer end of the journal box 23 and the hub, the said bellows serving as a hermetic seal to prevent the escape of gas from the tank, along the shaft 24 and into the indicating instrument.

A cover-plate 48 is bolted to the casing l, the same having a central aperture for the reception of the hub 49 of a movable gear 50. Associated with the latter gear is a stationary .gear 5| which is secured by means of a cap screw 52 to said cover 48. These gears each have a different number of teeth, the stationary gear 5| having one tooth lessthan the. gear 50 when it is desired that th indicating instrument should register ullage, i. e., outage, as is customary in the case of the cargo of tankers and when the gauge is employed for directly registering the actual depth of the tank contents, as is customary when measuring the oil in refinery tanks or on tank farms, the gear 5! should have one more tooth than the gear 50. The number of teeth on th gear 50 when the depth is to be measured in feet and inches, is desirably the same as the depth of the tank to be measured, expressed in feet, for example for a forty foot tank the gear 50 should have forty teeth and if it is a cargo tank, then the gear 5! should have thirty-nine teeth. With such gear ratios between the gears 50 and 5|, the gear 50 will be retarded one step for each complete rotation of the pinion around the periphery of the stationary gear 5| which corresponds to a complete rotation of the shaft 24 in an anti-clockwise direction (when viewed from the face of the instrument dial). However, when the gear 5! has one more tooth than the gear 50, say 4| as opposed to 40, then the dial will indicate directly the depth of the tank contents since the gear 59 will be advanced one step in each complete rotation of the shaft 24 in a clockwise direction.

A split-collar 53 is clamped to the hub 49, the same carrying a pointer 54 and a second splitcollar 55, carying a pointer 56, is-clamped to the shaft 24 adjacent its outer end and also preferably, though not necessarily, pinned thereto. When taking ullage of a cargo tank, each of said pointers, during the rotation of the shaft 24, passes anti-clockwise over the dial 51, the former pointer 54 moving continuously and being accelerated one step in the manner hereinbefore described during the complete revolution of the pointer 56, thereby said pointer 54 registering the ullage in feet and the pointer 56 the ullage in inches, the latter being preferably indicated on a separate, concentric scale on said dial (not shown).

The end 59 of the shaft 24 is square and-this admits of the shaft being manually operated and adjusted in the manner hereinafter described.

A flanged door 60 is hinged, as hereinafter described, to the cover-plate 48, said cover being centrally apertured to receive a stub shaft 6 I the inner end of which is provided with a square 62, which is pinned to the outer end of the stub 6! and which serves as a journal for a pin 63 carried by a supplemental arm or handle 64, admits of the manual rotation of the shaft 24 when the pressure of the brake shoe 36 on the drum I3 is relieved. Said arm 64 has a lug or stop 65 which is adapted to engage a corresponding lug or stop formed on the cover 60 and thereby prevents rotation of said shaft when the tank is empty and the float has been raised, as is then desirable, to the maximum cargo level by the operation of the crank 62.

The block l4 rotates on a pin 6'! secured in the bottom of the shell I. As shown, said shell I has a flange 68 at its lower end which is secured by cap screws to the housing 2.

The cover is preferably mounted on hinges 10, 10 and an apertured lug H carried by the plate 48 is adapted to receive a locking pin 12 when the apertures formed in opposing lugs 13 carried by said door are in registry with the aperture in the lug 1|.

The manner of operation of my improved gauge is as follows:

The operator opens the dial cover thus releasing the positive mechanical lock between the stub-shaft 5i and the square end 59 of shaft 24.

The inch pointer is then held against rotation while the friction brake is released and the float is gradually lowered by rotation of the pointer in a counter-clockwise direction until the float rests on the surface of the liquid cargo in the tank. The pointer is then released by the operator. In this condition the float and mechanism should operate freely and the pointers will indicate the level of carbon and will automatically indicate any changes of level if cargo is being loaded or discharged.

When cargo is entering or leaving the tank at anyv appreciable rate, the inch pointer can be observed in motion. As long as the mechanism and float move freely and the pointers move with any variation of cargo level, the correct cargo level will be indicated.

In order .to originally set the pointers, the clamping collars are loosened, the pin of the collar 55 removed and the shaft 24 is rotated until the float reaches the maximum cargo level. The shaft is then locked by applying the brake. The foot pointer 54 is then turned to the correct reading for full ullage and then the same is clamped to the hub 49. The inch pointer is then turned to the position to also indicate full ullage and clamped to the shaft in that position and if desired, the pin is inserted through a fresh hole drilled through the collar 55 at the proper point.

In the construction herein shown, the hoisting ratio is such that the counterweight moves but one-quarter the distance that is travelled by the float. Consequently, in a tank of 40 ft. in depth, the tubular guide pipe for the counterweight extends into the tank only a few feet, say ten to twelve feet, as distinguished from the usual guide, now commonly employed, which extends the full depth of the tank. Accordingly, even in the roughest weather such guide pipe being secured only to the tank top is not subjected to any stresses which would injure or disalign the same. Furthermore, such relatively short guide pipes are extremely simple and easy to install and maintain since, with the exception of the guide wires and float, the entire unit can be inserted or withdrawn through the opening 4' in the tank top and it is only for the purpose that it is necessary for an operative to enter the tank.

.My. improved gauge is of especial importance in the oil and allied industries wherein cargoes having high vapor pressures, as petroleumand coal tar distillates for example, sincelsuch cargoes,

due to contraction and expansion under the varying conditions to which they are subjected, develop varying pressures in the space above'the cargo level due to. gases and vapors evolved therefrom, and consequently the employment of gauges which operate on the pressure principle is precluded for use on tanks transporting or storing such cargoes.

Obviously, the pointers may also be rotated by first closing the cover and then operating the crank 62 by means of the handle 64,'in lieu of manually grasping the pointers. Also, when originally setting the pointers, the float can first be raised to the maximum cargo level before loosening the pointers either by directly grasping and rotating the inch pointer or by closing the cover and operating the hand crank 82. If desired, also the lowering of the float to the cargo level may be accomplished by resorting to a so-called inching manipulation of the brake in lieu of manually grasping and rotating the pointer.

My improved gauge is so designed that the dial is clearly visible from a. distance and consequently can easily be observed either by the operator of the valves of the supply or discharge line or by thesupervisor of loading and accordingly fewer men are required than are now usually employed to properly load or discharge the cargo and to enable the maintenance of the proper trim of the vessel during such loading or unloading.

Various changes in the details of the herein described construction, of my improved float gauge may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a float tank gauge, the combination comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a tank top, a guide extendingvertically within said housing and secured thereto, a counter-Weight slidably mounted in said guide, a float member, a hoisting drum rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent the upper end of the guide, a hoisting tackle including a standing block and two running blocks mounted in said housing and said running blocks being within said guide and supporting said counterweight, and a hoisting line connected at one of its ends to said float andsuccessively reeved over said hoisting drum,

, thence over one of the running blocks, thence over the standing block, thence over the other running block and having its other end secure to a fixed support.

2. The combination with a tank and a stand pipe extending upwardly therefrom, of a vertical guide mounted Within said stand pipe and ex ning-blocks, theiatter being adapted to move together in a vertical plane and'having acounterweight-supported'by the cheek-piecebf one of said blocks, a :hoisting drum mounted above said tackle, a float positioned in said tank, vertical guide means for said float anda hoisting .line

connected at one of its ends to said float and successively reeved over said hoisting drum, thence over one of said running blocks, thence over said standing block, thence over the other of said running blocks and having its other end secured to a fixed support. V i v I 3. The combination of claim 2, the guide thereof comprising a receptacle having a closed bottom which extends into the tank a distance less stub shaft mounted in said door, said stub shaft having a handle secured to its outer end and means carried by-its'inner end for effecting operative engagement with said main shaft when the door is in a closed position whereby rotation of said shaft by said handle can be accomplished,i

a hoisting drum carried by said shaft, a vertical guide depending from said housing and adapted to project into a tank on which said housing is mounted, a counterweight mounted within said guide, a hoisting tackle having a portion thereof slidably mounted within said guide, said tackle including a standing sheave block and two running sheave blocks, the latter carried by said counterweight and being adapted to move vertically duringthe operation of said tackle, a hoisting tape reeved over said drum and then successively'over one of the movable blocks, thence over the fixed block and thence over the other movable block, one end of said tape being secured to a fixed support and braking means for holding said float in an elevatedposition and for gradual- 1y lowering the same, when desired, when the handle is operatively disengaged from said main shaft. v 1

. 6. The combination as claimed in claim '1 wherein the hoisting drum is mounted on a shaft that is rotatably supported in a housing which is secured to the top of said tank and said housing is provided witha swinging door hinged thereto 7 and which door has a'stub shaft mounted therein which is provided on its inner end with means for operatively connecting said main shaft and said stub shaft together when said door is closed and said stub shaft having a collapsible handle secured to its outer end for effecting rotation of the stub shaft and said main shaft when the same are operatively engaged with each other.

'7. In a tank float gauge, the combination comprising a main shaft, a hoisting drum mounted I thereon, a hoisting line supported thereby, a float member and a counterweight-each supported by said hoisting line, a hoisting tackle, including a standing sheave block and twomovable sheave blocks overall of'which blocks said hoistingline is reeved, an indicator operatively associated with said main shaft, a housing having a swinging door hinged thereto enclosing said indicator and said drum and in which said 'main shaft is rotatably mounted, a stub shaft mounted on said door, cooperating means formed on the inner end of said stub shaft and the outer end of said main shaft for effecting their operative: engagement when said door is in a closed position, an operating 

